


Walden

by SpaceMalarkey



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Gen, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 19:02:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18238982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceMalarkey/pseuds/SpaceMalarkey
Summary: Wild has been sneaking off lately. The wolf isnt too pleased with the lack of information on where his cub is going.





	Walden

**Author's Note:**

> Linked Universe AU is created by jojo56830 (linkeduniverse.tumblr.com)

The cub had been sneaking off lately. Twilight had noticed his protégé running off several times in the past weeks. They were in Wild’s Hyrule this time, vast open world with few settlements. Maybe that was the reason his cub had felt the need to run off so much recently. He always returned hours later with a satisfied grin and always in time to start dinner for them all.  
Sometimes he returned with a newly hunted deer, or a boar. Sometimes he returned with wheat, or rice. But Twilight had started getting suspicious. He understood being homesick, but Wild usually stuck around the party until they were at least situated in a village with a proper inn.  
Even though they were used to traveling, Wild didn’t seem to want them on their own. The wilderness here could be unpredictable, and its monsters were large and imposing, strong and fiercely territorial.  
Normally, Wild was rather protective of them all when they were in his territory.  
Normally, Wild rarely left the party. He would watch over them and make sure they didn’t encounter an enemy they didn’t understand.

Legend and Warriors had started a bet. Legend had grunted about Wild’s frequent disappearances and his secretive behavior when he returned. Warriors had made a seemingly innocent comment about Wild seeing ladies, which in turn made Legend snort and they had placed a bet. Wild was seeing a woman, or Wild was doing something embarrassing.

Twilight was annoyed. He didn’t like not knowing where his cub went. Time had told him to find his calm and be patient.  
“Wild is a hero just as much as you or I am, and this is his home. He knows what he is doing, pup” he had said and squeezed his shoulder. He was right, of course. But that didn’t make him less anxious. At least Hyrule hadn’t disappeared with him this time. The wanderer had stayed in the camp like a good companion. Probably because Wind had been distracting him with stories about the Great Sea.  
Twilight sighed. Everyone seemed so calm compared to his racing thoughts. He was so anxious to find out what Wild had been up to all this time.  
He looked up to find said cub returning for the day, a big deer slung over his shoulder. He smiled at his mentor and nodded before making his way over to the fire. Four seemed happy to see him and bounced over to help with the food.  
Tomorrow, Twilight decided.

Tomorrow he would get to the bottom of this. 

 

* * *

 

Kakariko village was very different from what the others were used to. It was more secluded, hidden. It's inhabitants seemed to be exclusively Sheikah, and Zelda herself.  Wild had excitedly ran ahead to greet her, and the two talked in hushed tones before the cub turned to them and directed the group to the inn.  
Not suspicious at all.  
Wild had then disappeared into a house with Zelda, firmly shutting the door behind them. It was a clear sign to everyone to not follow.  
So naturally they all piled outside to try and listen in or sneak a peek through the windows. They were unsuccessful but found new and creative ways to try and sneak into the house. Twilight and Sky were climbing the roof, trying to sneak in from above. Wind and Four were crawling under the house trying to find a loose board. Legend, Hyrule and Warriors were sneaking in through the back.  
Time had simply outdone them all by opening the front door like a normal ass Hylian.

Inside they were all met with the sight of Wild lying on his back on a bed, and a Sheikah woman leaning over his upper chest. He had some sheets covering his exposed stomach and the bed itself was obscured by a thin curtain. Zelda had reacted quickly and drawn them closed around Wild and the other woman, who to her credit didn’t even look up from whatever she was doing.  
“Honestly,” the princess growled. “You couldn’t just wait until it was finished? You had to barge in like common criminals?”  
Twilight didn’t know Zelda like many of the others. His Zelda was very unreachable and cold. This Zelda was a polar opposite of what he was used to.   
She was fire, danger. She was slowly advancing on them with a deadly look of irritation on her face.  
She was scary.  
Wild’s laughter stopped her apparent plans to end them all for being nosy.  
“Oh, come on they’re just curious!” he giggled, before he made a small hurt sound and the Sheikah woman grunted, telling him to lie still.   
“Ugh I should have expected as much. They’re all you somehow,” Zelda grumped. She gave them all warning glares to stay at a respectable distance as she crossed the floor and took a seat beside her friend. “Would have thought you were able to respect each other’s private affairs, however”.  
“Yeah, but where is the fun in tha- _ow!_?”

There was a slight pause before Wild spoke up again. Twilight could hear the pout in his voice.  
“Why did you pinch me?”  
“Because you need to be stopped, you gremlin”.  
“But why did you have to _pinch_ me, that fucking hurts?!”  
“You, the great hero who have dealt with deep cuts and told me not to worry because they didn’t hurt, complaining about a pinch? What has this world come to?”  
“Well the lynels aren’t imbued with the godly powers of a prickly prin- NO, NOT MY _EAR_!”

They eventually quieted down, and Zelda turned to look at them. She meant business.  
“You are obviously curious enough to actually turn to crime, so I might as well tell you now. They're almost finished anyway”.  
Every Link in the house made their way to her and sat down in a semi-circle. Twilight thought it was a little ridiculous. They all acted like schoolchildren around this Zelda.  
“Do any of your cultures have tattoos?” she asked.  
Silence.

“We have them in the Great Sea,” Wind eventually piped up. “Mostly pirates and sailors get them to remind them of something. You never know when, or if, you will return to land after all”.  
“I have seen soldiers have some before,” Legend muttered. “Not sure if they meant anything though, they seemed like the result of dares to me”.  
“Really? The soldiers I knew were forbidden from having any mark on them.” Warriors commented. “It was mostly other tribes who had markings”.  
Next to Twilight, Four made a low humming sound. “I don’t think I have seen tattoos from my time before” he said contemplatively. Hyrule nodded and added “If anyone had them, I didn’t see them”.  
“I have seen them on Sheikah,” Sky said when the others were finished speaking. “What about you two? You have some markings on your face as well,” he gestured to Twilight and Time.  
Time looked uncomfortable. “Just markings” he replied shortly, ending all further questioning. Twilight nodded. “These aren’t tattoos” he said.

“So Wild is getting a tattoo?” Wind bounced a little in his seat.  
“Yes,” Zelda smiled, amused by the little sailor's enthusiasm. “A hundred years ago, Hylians used to get them as a sign of belonging. Many would tattoo the crest of their home on their backs.”  
She moved her gaze to take in their curious faces before continuing.  
“Hylians of today aren't unified enough to have a shared significance to them, but other tribes have. We borrowed from them instead. Gerudo get tattoos only when they are proven to be a warrior, a coming of age ceremony.  Goron say their tattoos are to show where they belong. Bonds, family connections, great deeds. Their tattoos tell a story. The Sheikah get tattoos to show their heritage, and to proudly wear them on their skin.”

Her gaze met Twilight’s, and she smiled kindly. “Link never had any until now”.  
Wild made a sound of confirmation.  
“I want to show the world where I belong, too” he grunted. “Zel was nice enough to design it for me, but she said I wasn’t allowed to see it until it was finished! Have you any idea how hard it was to not take a peek? I had to wear long sleeves! It was so warm and uncomfortable!”  
The princess chuckled and stood from her seat.  
“Well, now you get to see it. You’re done”.  
She pulled out a large mirror and rested it against the nearby wall, waiting for his reaction eagerly. There was a light in her eyes now. 

Wild slowly sat up and pulled the curtain away. He was only wearing his undershorts, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable in front of the small crowd. He didn't even seem to notice them. The cub was staring at himself in the mirror, utterly transfixed. Not that Twilight could blame him.  
Wild’s entire left side, usually covered in scars, were now covered in tendrils of green and blue. It looked like the wilderness had burst out from inside him, through his scars. Vines, leaves, branches, blades of grass, all flowed out of the cracks of his skin.    
It trailed up from his ankle, past his hips where they branched out towards the middle of his chest. His left arm had delicate tendrils flowing upwards to his shoulder, where they pooled down across his shoulder blade. The side of his neck had a few humble flowers blooming, stretching up towards his hair.   
The shell of his ear was graced with blueish green vines.  
The most stunning detail, however, were the white flowers that bloomed in the middle of his scars. They were faintly glowing like little stars. White soft petals with a blue center.

Wild seemed so alive. He was smiling wider than Twilight had ever seen him and he was twirling around to see every detail in the mirror. He held up his arm to gently touch the design.   
Then, the cub jumped over to Zelda and hugged her tightly, spinning her around with such joy. She made a small surprised sound, completely unbecoming of someone with a royal status, and laughed with him.   
“It’s perfect!” he laughed openly and loudly and pressed his cheek to hers. There was an audible rumble coming from his chest.   
Zelda hugged him back and whispered something to him before he let her go and she stood to the side, an open invitation to the rest of them.  
In no time Wild was surrounded by his fellows, all staring and complimenting the artwork and admiring how well it seemed to fit him. The cub was radiant, completely at ease and proud, and Twilight found himself smitten by his happiness. 

Then he heard Wind mutter “Do you think I could get one too?” to the Sheikah woman.  
Oh boy.


End file.
